BackTo60 lodges state pension appeal with High Court

The BackTo60 campaign, which represents women born in the 1950s and affected by state pension age equalisation, has lodged its application for permission to appeal at the High Court.

It is seeking to appeal the decision earlier this month (3 October), which ruled that rises to the state pension age for women born in the 1950s were not discriminatory.

The organisation has raised over £70,000 of its £72,000 crowd funding target, which it says is to cover both the legal action and further campaigning.

It said that lawyers advising the group have decided that there are “good grounds for appeal” but that they will have to first develop their case in seeking permission.

No date for the appeal hearing has been set.

In the judicial review, the campaigners argued that the changes in state pension age for women born in the 1950s “unlawfully discriminated against them on the ground of age, sex, and age and sex combined”.

Another group campaigning for restitution for the 1950s women is Waspi, who are in negotiations with Work and Pensions Secretary, Therese Coffey, alongside the joint chairs of the All Party Parliamentary Group.

However, BackTo60 do not feel like the Waspi campaign is asking for enough.

Speaking to BackTo60, former Waspi co-ordinator, Lizzie Spring, said: “It means accepting a lower pension and only some compensation after the age of 63; I think it’s a disappointment.

“It risks compounding the poverty of women with the least money who might take such an offer out of desperation.

“It contains nothing to support the many women who’ve cashed in small private pensions and/or sold homes to survive for five plus years.

“The compensation after 63 would take ages to implement even if accepted and if not even backdated, would not be compensation but just a sop for a few.”